Before we jump to conclusions after recalling the Season 15 episode of South Park that claimed Pabst Blue Ribbon is white trash beer, perhaps we should delve into its history for just a brief moment. PBR (as it is lovingly called today) had its start when German immigrant Jacob Best established the Empire Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. Best and his sons produced
300 barrels within their first year (which is pretty impressive, all
things considered). In 1860, Best's son Phillip took over the business.
His son-in-law Frederick Pabst (spoiler alert) bought an interest. In
1872, after having produced 100, 000 barrels and becoming the second
largest brewery in the United States, Frederick Pabst takes over the
legacy. In 1876 Pabst Best Select Lager wins the gold medal at the Centennial Celebration and in 1882 after continuing to win awards, Pabst begins hand-tying blue silk ribbons around every bottle (in a blue ribbon marketing move) so it could be easily identified as a winner.
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| Conan O'Brien sporting his PBR t-shirt. |
Skip ahead to 2014 where PBR has become the unofficial beer of the "hipster". Prominently featured in books like "The Hipster Handbook", on t-shirts and other merchandise, PBR is all about tapping (pun intended) into things yet to be discovered. Those who drink PBR do so because it hasn't been gorilla marketed, it takes a conscious effort to buy a case, pint or tall boy: therein lies its cool factor. I was first introduced to PBR while working off of Queen St. West in Toronto, where the hipster population is rumoured to thrive. Many of the local bars served PBR and at discounted price in order to appeal to their target market.
Fun Fact: Patrick Swayze appeared in a 1979 ad for
PBR which featured groovy disco dancing and unforgettable lyrics:
"I've got Pabst Blue Ribbon on my mind."
PBR which featured groovy disco dancing and unforgettable lyrics:
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| "There's no place that I'd rather be than right here With my rednecks, white socks and blue ribbon beer," Johnny Russell. |
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Class: Pale Lager
Brewer: SLEEMAN BREWING
Quality: Discount
Alcohol Content: 4.9%
My dad loves PBR! Though it definitely is falling into the category of 'hipster beer'.
ReplyDelete168 years old or not...I follow the adage, if it's not broken, don't fix it!
Thanks for the insight, Adrianna!
Really interesting to learn that PBR has been around since the late 1800s; I had no idea it's been around for that long. I've had PBR before, but on the rare occasion. This post has persuaded me to get a case of PBR the next time I'm out buying beer. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like PBR, but had no idea about its history before reading this post. The story behind the blue ribbon is interesting, and it was definitely a smart marketing move for them to put silk ribbons around the bottles. I think your blog is awesome Adrianna!
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